Mute for horn-type musical instruments



Jan. 24, 1967 B. F. VENTURA 3,299,764

MUTE FOR HORN-TYPE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Feb. 10. 1966 /7 /4 /6 INVENTOR.

BERNARD F. VENTURA BY MAHONEY, MILLER 8. RAMBO BWKM 424.14.,

ATTORNEYS United States Patent F 3,299,764 MUTE FOR HORN-TYPE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Bernard F. Ventura, 665 Ave. E, Bayonne, NJ. 07002 Filed Feb. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 526,511 4 Claims. (Cl. 84-400) This invention relates to a mute for horn-type musical instruments. It has to do, more particularly, with a mute attachment for use on the bell of a wind-operated musical instrument of the horn-type, such as a trombone, cornet, trumpet, French horn, or the like, and especially with the means for mounting the mute on or connecting it to that bell.

The present invention deals with that general type of mute attachment which is designed to fit over and around the bell of a horn. In the prior art, mutes of this general type have been made as attachments with spring clips for mounting the mute on the exterior of the horn bell. However, one great disadvantage of this prior art arrange ment is that an airtight connection is not provided and .the desired sound-attenuation or muting cannot be obtained or controlled. Also, with this type of attachment, it is difficult to fit the attachment on horn bells of a varying diameter size range and still obtain the desired attenuating or muting effect.

It is the main object of this invention to provide a muting attachment for horn-type musical instruments which is very simple and can be manufactured at a low cost yet which can be easily and quickly mounted on the bell of the instrument with a wind-tight connection so as to be retained thereon effectively until actually removed, which can be removed with ease when desired, and which can be fitted on a range of sizes of horn bells.

In the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated a preferred form of mute attachment according to this invention but specific details may be varied without departing from the principles of the invention.

In these drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, showing the mute in position on the bell of a horn.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged elevational view of the mute attachment looking into the rear side thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2.

With specific reference to the drawing, in FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a mute attachment embodying the present invention, indicated generally by the numeral 10, which is removably mounted on the bell 11 of a trumpet. However, it is to be understood that the resent mute attachment is not limited in its application to this particular type of horn, but may be applied with equal facility to other types of musical horns.

The mute embodies a frusto-conical, cup-shaped mounting flange 10a which can be positioned telescopically over the outer extremity of the bell and will engage the annular lip or rim 12 on the extremity of the hell with a snap-action to retain the mute axially on the bell. It is important that the mounting flange 10a of the mute have a tapering inner wall surface 13 to provide a bell-receiving socket of gradually decreasing diameter from its axially inwardly-opening mouth toward its outer end where the sound-modifying or muting means is provided, the latter being illustrated as a plate-like baflle 14 with suitably arranged wind-escape apertures or slots 14a. At intervals spaced axially of the mounting flange 10a, and spaced along the inner tapered wall surface 13, a series of an- 3,29%,754 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 nular continuous grooves 15 are provided for receiving the rims 12 of a range of different diameter bells. These grooves provide circumferential retaining ribs or shoulders 15a which will snap behind the rim 12 of the bell when the mute is frictionally fitted on the bell.

The mounting flange 10a is formed of resiliently flexible material so that it will yield or expand slightly and snap over the bell lip 12. Preferably, it is molded of a suitable resiliently flexible plastic material such as polyethylene. In the particular form of mute illustrated in the drawing, the mounting flange 10a is of integral, one piece construction and is molded to form an inwardly directed, annular rim 16 at its outer end. The rim portion 16 may include a series of integral, circumferentially spaced fastening studs or rivets 17 which are arranged to extend through a series of complemented openings formed in the baflie plate 14 to secure the latter to the mounting flange 10a. In the assembly of the overall mute, the separate baffle plate 14 may be placed on the inner surface of the rim portion 16 and over the unheaded rivets 17, with the rivets 17 being thereafter swaged or otherwise headed by heat to lock the baflle plate to the mounting flange 10a.

However, the particular form and construction of the baflle plate 14 as shown in the drawing is for purposes of illustrating only one possible type of sound-modifying or muting means which may be carried by the present im proved mounting flange 10a, and it should be understood that other, equivalent sound-modifying or muting means may be substituted for or added to the baflle plate 14 to attain various different sound effects, without departing from the principles of this invention. Thus, the present invention is primarily concerned with a mute which is formed from a resiliently flexible material and which defines an axially tapered socket to frictionally receive and form a substantially air-tight seal with the different diameter bells of a given type of musical horn. The socket is preferably provided with circumferentially extending, continuous grooves, axially spaced, each of which is designed to receive the annular head of a particular diameter horn bell, the grooves providing circumferential retaining ribs for engaging the bead and holding the mute axially in position on the bell.

Thus, it will be seen that the present invention provides a mute of comparatively simple and economical construction, and one which may be used in connection with a range of different size horns.

Having thus described claimed is:

1. A mute attachment for a horntype musical instrument comprising a coupling body adapted to fit telescopically over the bell of the instrument, said body having a wall with a tapering inner surface to provide a tapering bell-receiving socket which has a mouth that opens axially inwardly and is of gradually decreasing diameter away from the mouth, and sound-attenuating means carried by said body at a position spaced axially outwardly from said mouth.

2. A mute attachment according to claim 1 in which said wall is flexibly resilient and its inner tapering surface is provided with a plurality of axially spaced circumferentially extending retaining ribs thereon.

3. A mute attachment according to claim 2 in which the body is of frusto-conical form.

4. A mute attachment according to claim 3 in which the body is formed of a flexible resilient plastic material.

this invention, what is No references cited.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MUTE ATTACHMENT FOR A HORN-TYPE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT COMPRISING A COUPLING BODY ADAPTED TO FIT TELESCOPICALLY OVER THE BELL OF THE INSTRUMENT, SAID BODY HAVING A WALL WITH A TAPERING INNER SURFACE TO PROVIDE A TAPERING BELL-RECEIVING SOCKET WHICH HAS A MOUTH THAT OPENS AXIALLY INWARDLY AND IS OF GRADUALLY DECREASING DIAMETER AWAY FROM THE MOUTH, AND SOUND-ATTENUATING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID BODY AT A POSITION SPACED AXIALLY OUTWARDLY FROM SAID MOUTH. 